How The Dawn Knits Us Together
by pancake-potch
Summary: Story from the Brick Day prompt "Long Nights." Rick is a bored cop in a small town, and Beth is a girl in need.
1. Chapter 1

Rick Grimes is _thisclose _to the end of his shift. He sighs, and readjusts himself in the cruiser's seat, trying to get himself in a more comfortable position. He's been in the car, on patrol for the last two hours now, and there hasn't been a single call in all that time. He knows it's a good thing, but the last two hours have nearly killed him out of sheer boredom.

What Rick _really_ wants is to clock out, drive home, and spend some extra special time with a bottle of Bushmills he has waiting. It's midnight, it's Friday, and he has another _hour left_. He has already made the rounds (a couple of times) to spots in town where there usually is some sort of shady doings (no matter how minor) and well…_nothing_. No teenagers smoking pot in any of the two parks in town. No bar fights. No tweakers attempting to steal scrap metal from the junkyard or power station (this reminds him of a time when there was a rash of manhole covers that went missing, only to find that Combo Ortega and Skinny Pete had stolen them and attempted to sell them to the one junkyard in a thirty-mile radius).

So, as he drives down the back road that eventually leads to the freeway, he drums his thumbs on the steering wheel and hums 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' -the last song he heard while driving to the station.

In the distance, Rick spots a set of hazard lights blinking. He sits up a little straighter and puts his cop face on, readying himself to help John Q. Public in their time of need.

Pulling behind the vehicle, Rick calls into dispatch where he is and what his intentions are. As dispatch checks the plate number, Rick hears it's registered to the town vet, Hershel Greene. Approaching it, he notices that there's a steady stream of white smoke coming from the hood. He clears his throat and walks to the driver's side door.

Peering in with his flashlight, he sees a tangle of blonde hair in a ponytail. Hershel's girl is laying on her forearm, which rests on the steering wheel. She obviously doesn't see him, so he knocks lightly on the window. She startles, and looks squinty eyed at the bright beam of light directed at her from outside.

Rick smiles to himself before lowering the flashlight enough so she can see that it's not some weirdo creeping on her. He can see her relief as she displays a slight smile.

Rolling down the window, Beth's eyebrows lift, and she shrugs. "Hey, Officer Grimes."

"Beth Greene. You havin' some trouble tonight?" He nods toward the hood. His smile grows a bit, because if nothing else tonight, he'll be able to help this girl make it home.

"Um, yeah…it's smoking, and it won't start…" She looks out in front of her, in a way that tells him that it's her main concern, but as she briefly glances over at him, Rick can see the tears welling up in her eyes.

Rick Grimes is observant. He's a cop, after all. He decides to address the chief concern first. "Pop the hood, I think I got an idea." He clicks his flashlight off, and Beth leans down to the latch and pulls. She opens the door, and follows as Rick lifts the hood. They both take a step back as the smoke plumes.

Rick places a hand on his hip, his other gesturing to the maze of car parts under the hood. "Coolant? Not much I can do for ya, Beth. Can call a tow truck to the service station?" He looks at her for an answer. He feels a brief pang of…something. Rick sees her vulnerable, sweet, and well -_pretty_.

_That's all this is_, Rick thinks. _A policeman helping a pretty girl in need._ He stands up a little straighter and sighs. "Want me to call one?" He looks down at the car before looking at her again, waiting for an answer.

She's staring at the engine, eyebrows are furrowed, and she looks like she's concentrating. Maybe trying to will the car to start with her mind.

"Beth?"

"Hmmm? Oh! Sorry." She smiles out of politeness or habit, Rick can't tell. "Sure. It's not a bother? I have my phone."

He smiles, and gestures her toward his cruiser. "C'mon. It's my civic duty. We'll get you squared away."

She looks up at him gratefully. He places a hand on the small of her back leading her the rest of the way.

"I've never been in a police car before. Front or back." She looks behind her. "Why is there glass seperatin' the back? It's already got bars."

"It's uh, so we don't get spit on…or worse."

"Gross. Has anyone tried?" Her nose scrunches up, and Rick chuckles.

"There was this one time," Rick begins but thinks better of it, "you know what? It's a story best not told. Especially if you've eaten recently."

_Yes. This girl wants to hear all about the naked drunk guy using handfuls of watery diarrhea as a weapon. Smooth, Officer._

He awkwardly looks down at the phone in his hand trying to ease away his embarrassment. "I'll call that truck for ya."

He dials in the number, and exchanges a few sentences before he hangs up. He sighs, and rubs his hand along his face. "Daryl says he's gotta tow over in Griffin. He's gonna be an hour or so." He looks at her, but she's looking out the passenger window. He feels some sort of powerful urge to touch the tips of her hair and brush his fingers along her shoulder blades.

_Way to be a creepy bastard. What a gentleman._

When she doesn't respond, he vaguely thinks it's because she's uncomfortable. "Hey, Beth? I can just give ya a lift home. Car ought ta be safe overnight. You can call Daryl in the morning."

Now it's Beth's turn to sigh. Her shoulders slump, and she turns to him. "I just…I don't really wanna go home right now. I can wait here 'till Daryl gets here."

The thought of leaving this girl here, in the dark, at this time of night doesn't sit too well with him. He looks at her, his eyes squints a bit and he cocks his head.

"You alright?" He nearly regrets asking her, because he can see her eyes start welling up in tears._ The Ace Cop making a beautiful young woman cry, merely with his poor choice of words._

"If it aint too much trouble, you can drop me off at Jacqui's. It's twenty-four hours now, right"

"Yeah. You sure?"

Beth rolls her eyes a bit and smiles- a real smile. "Yes, officer Grimes, I'll be fine"

He stares at her for another moment before he agrees. "Yeah, ok." He turns the ignition, but doesn't pull away yet. "You want some company? I don't have much time left before my shift ends. I could join ya…until Daryl's done, that is."

Beth looks a little surprised, "Um, yeah. I'd like that."

It's Rick's turn to smile. "Ok. Me, too"

They pull into the parking lot, and Rick quickly steps out to open Beth's door. She gives a small appreciative smile.

It's weird, when Rick thinks about it. He has a misplaced sense of pride walking in with Beth Greene. It's not like there are many patrons in the diner, but those who are there, he secretly hopes they notice. To witness Rick Grimes escorting the beautiful Beth Greene into the restaurant to, you know. _Eat something. _

He waves his hand to a booth, and she sits down. The sound of plastic cover as she scoots toward the window registers in his brain. As much as he wants to sit next to her, he doesn't. Instead he sits opposite, placing his Walkie in front of him.

Tyreese comes to the table, smile on his face. "Hey Rick! And hello to you, too, Ms. Greene. Ya'll let me know when ya ready. " He places two plastic coated menus in front of them and leaves, but not before he smiles (knowingly?) at them.

They sit there, clumsily trying not to stare at each other. Rick assumes it's weird because he is a grown man, and she is a beautiful young woman. She assumes it's because he has work to do, and he's just being nice.

He decides it's time to broach the subject. "Beth? I can tell there's something going on. You can tell me, ok?"

She looks at her menu, trying to study all the choices in front of her.

"Beth? Look, if there's somethin' I can do…"

But right then, Ty comes back, pad in hand waiting for their order. "Fries? And coffee, " Beth says, smiling up at him,

"You got it. Rick?"

"Coffee's fine" He hands their menus back to him, before directing his attention to Beth.

"I do mean it. If there's something…" He waves his hand in front of him.

She smiles, "It's stupid, ya know? It's just that Jimmy decided he was gonna transfer to University of Oregon, and…I don't wanna go all that way. I just thought…I just thought that we'd be together? Get married, and all that." She glances up at Rick while toying with a sugar packet. "Like I said. It's stupid."

"No, " Rick shakes his head, "Ya know, Lori and I…we got married when we weren't much older than you. I was almost right out of the academy, then Lori got pregnant with Carl."

"See? You guys are great together. I always kinda wanted that." Ty brings two coffees, and Beth uses that moment to break the tension and pour sugar in her cup.

"It aint always a happy ending." It's Rick's turn to fiddle around before confessing. "I just signed divorce papers. We were too young for marriage. We sorta stayed together for Carl. She moved out months ago." He looks at her, expecting judgment. He doesn't really know why he decided to share that information, but it seems like the right thing to do.

She blinks at him, not knowing what to say.

"Thanks for findin' me," She manages. Her blue eyes look at him like he's the last man on Earth.

"Yeah, ya know. It's my job…to keep people safe." He smiles down at his mug.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well fuck Scott Gimple and Co. I had to get this out there as a coping mechanism for that shitshow "Coda"**

Beth Greene sits opposite of Officer Grimes and wonders what exactly he's doing here. He's a cop, and she's sure he has more important business to attend to than comforting some college girl over a break up. He's a nice guy, she knows. And she's sure he's here out of duty to make sure she's okay, and that her car gets taken care of.

She fiddles with her coffee cup in between her fingers out of habit. Honestly, she is feeling slightly embarrassed about her confession when Rick tells her of his own marital troubles. Her problem pales in comparison, and it makes her feel a tad ridiculous.

_Some boy moving away is not at all important_, she thinks to herself. _This mans marriage is over. _She looks at Rick Grimes, who is looking out the diner window. His thumb is rubbing the handle of the mug in an absent minded way. She notices he's still wearing his wedding band, and it makes her even more self-conscious. She's curious about what exactly he could be looking at out there, because it's so dark out that only the reflections from inside the diner are visible. She peers outside and catches his reflection. He's not looking outside, she realizes, he's looking at her.

_Oh! _She blushes and smiles, and avoids eye contact by peering over at the kitchen area. He clears his throat and stares at his coffee cup, and if she chose to look at him right then, she'd notice he's blushing too.

_Stop acting like an idiot. He's a grown man. _She internally shakes it off. There's no reason for her to be embarrassed.

"So, Officer-"

"Rick, please." He interrupts.

She gives a little giggle. "_Rick_, how's everything else? There doesn't seem to be much criminal activity."

He gives some sort of half chuckle and agrees, "Yeah, there aint much going on."

Beth's fries come, care of the new waitress Rosita. Rosita smacks her gum and asks if they need anything else. Beth smiles at her and says she's ok, but internally she sorta wishes she had Rosita's nonchalance…and body.

They exchange a few words before Beth says, "Um, you know I'll be alright. You don't gotta stay." She feels bad, like she's keeping him from some sort of high-profile criminal investigation.

Beth notices Rick's blue eyes and his smile when he says, "It's alright. Better than sittin' in the cruiser drinking cold coffee. Better company, too." He shifts in his seat a bit, and sits a little straighter. "You enjoying college?"

She gives him a smile, and perks up a bit. "Yeah, I am. It's tough, but…I dunno, the challenge is part of the fun." She gives a little shrug.

He asks a few more questions about classes she's taking and she listens when Rick tells her about going through the police academy training. If she's honest with herself, she feels like this is an honor, knowing Rick a bit more. Really, she feels kind of special.

Rosita comes back to the table, coffee pot in hand. Without saying anything she waves it over each of their cups to see if either want more. They both nod and murmur a polite 'thanks,' and she walks to the next table.

Beth sighs and stares down at the table and soaks in the warmth from the cup.

She doesn't expect it when Rick places a hand on her arm. She hadn't even noticed how far she was leaning forward over the table. "It'll get easier," he says as he strokes her slightly.

"You shoulda seen me when Lori first left. It's like my world stopped." He takes his hand back. "But, lookin' back? It's better this way."

"Sorry, Beth." He shakes his head. "I'm sure you don't wanna hear about all that." Rick takes a sip of the mug, and winces somewhat at how hot it is. "Ya know, Lori was always tryin' to get me to talk more, and now I guess I can't seem ta keep a lid on it."

"Maybe it's just easier to talk ta people you don't really know," she muses. "Plus, I can't judge. You found me cryin' on the side of the road."

She smiles at him and he can't help but smile at her, and out of nowhere she realizes how handsome he _really_ is. More than casually good looking, but-

_Hot. Rick Grimes is hot._

Before she can say anything, he glances down at his watch. "I, uh, should probably give Daryl a call. I'll be right back." He stands up and heads to the door, and Beth can't stop herself from staring at him and she thinks how good his uniform fits him from this angle.

_No harm in looking. You're heartbroken, not_ _dead._ She smiles to herself with that thought, because she'll get over it. Having company in this diner in the early morning hours seems to be just what she needs.

Rick comes back in and slides back into the booth. "You droppin' me off?" She questions.

"Daryl ran into a bit of trouble on the way back. Didn't say what, but it's gonna be awhile longer. I'll take ya home." Rick waves at Rosita for the check, but Beth places a hand on _his_ arm this time.

"Wait. I don't wanna leave just yet. If ya gotta, you know, go back to work, I'll be fine here."

"Actually, " he says, leaning back, "I called into the station while I was out there. My shifts over."

Beth wishes right then for the courage to ask him to stay, but she doesn't have to.

"So, if you still want company, I don't mind hanging out. At least stay until Daryl's back."

Beth feels a twinge in her chest, and she beams at his words. "I don't mind at all."

_That's the understatement of the year._ She has no idea (well _some_) why she's so happy to be here with Rick, but she is.

At that moment, the diner door swings open and a group of young men come blustering in. They seem to be in a great mood, loudly greeting everyone in there. Beth realizes just how long they've been sitting there, because it's occurred to her that the bars have closed and these guys are drunk.

She giggles at their antics, and Rick smiles wryly. Tyreese comes out and ushers them to a table, good-naturedly shushing them. They thank Ty, and a couple of them stare at the plastic menus uncomprehendingly. Beth catches the eye of one of the men at the table, and his face lights up.

"BETH GREEEEENE! Scoot over, dude. Gotta say hi to Beth Greene." He practically climbs over his friends to leave the booth, and Beth groans a bit. He stumbles over and falls into the seat next to Beth, almost landing in her lap.

She giggles. "Hey, Zach. Friday night out, huh?" She looks over at Rick, trying to apologize with just the look on her face, but he looks more amused than annoyed.

"I haven't seen you-in _ages_, man. How are you?"

"I'm fine." She still smiling as clenches her cup in between her hands, and sits awkwardly.

"Jim's goin' to U of O, right? So, ya'll movin' up there?" Zach balances himself by resting his elbow on the table and resting his head on his hand.

Beth's smile falters a bit. "No, we, um…we broke up."

"Nooooooo. Really? I'm sooo sorry." He tries to pat her shoulder, but ends up pushing her. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Maybe, ya know…maybe we could go out sometime? You're so pretty and lovely-"

""Scuse me, son?" Rick uses his cop voice to get Zach's attention. Zach startles and looks at Rick, now just noticing him.

"Oh! Shi- I didn't see you there, Officer. I swear, I'm not driving anywhere-"

Rick cuts him off with a tilt of his head. "Think your friends are startin' to wonder what happened to ya."

Zach looks over at his friends, who are in various states of drunkenness. "Yeah. Yeah, ok." He gets up slowly in order to keep his balance. "You can call me anytime, Beth Greene, " he waves his hand in emphasis, "any…any time."

Beth watches him stumble back to his table before looking to Rick. "Sorry 'bout that."

Rick chuckles. "Naw, no need. You _are_ a pretty girl; you're bound to get offers."

If Beth could get any redder, she might explode, and that is exactly how she feels at the moment. She wants to say something flirty or confident back, but all she can do is smile and mutter, "Thank you."

She dares herself to look directly at him-past her embarrassment- and she catches his eyes. He's staring at her. And there's something about the way he's looking at her that makes her hold her breath.

That's how Ty finds them when he reaches them, check in hand. He looks at them both while quietly sliding the check on the table between them. To Tyreese, it doesn't look like either will acknowledge his presence, but Rick caught his movement from the corner of his eye. He looks up to him, and it's only then that Beth notices the check.

"Oh! Thank you, Tyreese!"

He smiles and nods at her before making his way back.

"Maybe we should get outta here? I could wait with you at your car 'till Daryl shows up."

She still feels a little too flustered to make a coherent sentence, so she shrugs her shoulders and smiles in agreement.

Rick reaches for his wallet and lays a few bills on the table. "You sure, Rick? I can get my half."

He waves her off before standing up. Beth grabs her purse beside her, and scoots to the edge of the seat to stand up, when she realizes Ricks hand is outstretched to help her up.

Beth _almost _thinks she's imagining things when Rick's hand doesn't leave hers until she's stood up and adjusted her purse strap over her shoulder. His fingertips brush her palm as he takes his hand back to readjust his holster.

_Oh my God. I think I held hands with Rick Grimes._

Rick doesn't seem to be freaking out, but internally Beth thinks she could sprint all the way home with the adrenaline rushing through her.

On the walk back to the car, she wonders why she's all fluttering butterflies and not weirded out…or something.

_Because you've somehow managed- in the course of a few hours- to have a crush on Officer Grimes._ That thought sobers her up a bit. She's just imagining things. There's no possible way that he could feels the same way about her. _But you did hold his hand._

That's the last thought she has before Rick opens the passenger door for her, and she slides in.

They drive back to her car in a silence that's not uncomfortable, or necessarily awkward, but there is some sort of tension around them and Beth isn't sure if Rick is aware of it or not.

The cruiser pulls up behind the stalled car. Rick decides to call Daryl again, and after a sigh and a "…yeah…yeah, alright," he hangs up.

Beth flinches. "That doesn't sound good."

Rick lays his phone in the console. "Daryl…Daryl's got some trouble with his brother. You know Merle? Dixon? Well, I dunno what's going on, but he did promise he'd be here. Just a matter of _when._"

He turns the key in the ignition.

Beth doesn't stop him this time, but she does manage to say something. "Thanks, Rick. I, um…just thanks for hanging out with me. It made my night better." She looks over at him shyly.

Rick stares at her, then down at his hand on the keys. He gives his own small smile before switching the ignition off. Beth furrows her brows in confusion, waiting for an explanation.


	3. Chapter 3

Rick mentally fumbles around for the right words. "Figured I'm in this for the long haul. Could be that Daryl is right around the corner. We can just wait it out here for now." He hopes he doesn't sound as idiotic as he thinks he does. He never really was good with all this, but there's something that draws him to her and he doesn't want it her to leave yet.

_With my luck Daryl really will be around the corner._

But in the stillness of the night, waiting for Beth to say something, he doesn't hear an engine anywhere near.

"And," he adds, "you're makin' my night better too." He looks over at her. Beth is flushed and she giggles out of nervousness.

"Shouldn't you be off doin' police reports, or somethin'? I mean, I like bein' here with you…but, I guess I don't wanna get in the way."

"Lemme show you somethin'." He pulls out a small notebook from his shirt pocket and flips through a few pages. "Here's how many calls I had to respond to today." She looks at the pad, and although she can't read what it says, she notices four short paragraphs.

"Four? Does that mean you had four calls today?" She looks a little disbelieving.

"Four. So no, Beth. You're not getting in the way." He laughs a bit before shoving it back into his shirt pocket.

She laughs a little too and asks, "What's all the rest of this stuff?" She's looking over all the special doohickeys and buttons and screens inside the cruiser

He seems eager to explain, so he does. They go through all the gadgets and how to open the doors to the backseat if there's someone in it. Rick thinks she's enjoying herself, and he is too. If he's honest, he hasn't really enjoyed someone's company like this in a long time.

After he explains the equipment, she asks about the other officers he works with, some of whom she knows. He talks about procedures at the station, and who to call if she gets arrested.

"I've always wanted to be an international art thief, or somethin', " she giggles.

"That right? Beth Greene dodgin' lasers and using diamond cutters." He smiles and squints at her. "Yeah, I could see that."

She rolls her eyes and stares out the windshield. Rick knows he's staring at her, but he just can't help it. She's beautiful, and kind, and sweet. Truthfully, he had to restrain himself from reaching over and holding her hand again. He didn't intentionally do it the first time, but there was something in that touch that made it hard to pull away.

_She didn't seem to mind_, he thinks while he staring at her. _Just man up. She does like you, too. _

He glances out the windshield too, and nudges her elbow. When she looks to him he nods out the window.

"C'mon." He opens his door and steps out, and after a beat, she does too. She follows him to the front of the car where he perches himself on the hood, boot resting on the bumper. She follows suit, and when she sits next to him her thigh brushes up against him. She leans back, her hands behind her keeping her steady.

"The stars are beautiful." She says.

He looks up. "Yeah."

They both are content in their own ways, and neither of them move or shift for a long time.

After a time, Beth stretches and sits more upright, her hands on either side of her and her feet dangling. Rick sits up, too.

"So…I'm movin' back to the farm now. Since Jimmy's movin'. I'll be commuting from there." Beth looks at Rick, "So I'll be around a lot more. I was sad about it, comin' home. Like I couldn't cut it. But, I think it'll be good." She blushes and tries to explain. "There's always good that comes out- that comes out of bad situations."

Rick never has been the best with women. But he _is_ a cop. He's pretty sure she's sending a message with those words, and his heart nearly beats out of his chest.

He searches for words or actions that would convey what he's felling or thinking. So, without looking at her, he places his hand on top of hers. She does look at him when she turns her palm upward, and intertwines her fingers in his. When he peers down at her, she shifts closer to him and lays her head on his shoulder.

Rick takes a deep breath. He can't quite understand how he managed to get right here, right now. He's not complaining, but it's still a little baffling. She so soft and her hair smells good. Rick is so comfortable, sitting here with her. He brushes his thumb over her hand, and he can feel her sink into him.

They stay like that until Beth says, "Is…is it getting light out?" She lifts her head from his shoulder and looks at him.

He checks his watch. "Yeah. Its 5 am." He wonders if this is a sign that he should let go of her, but since she's still holding on, he doesn't budge.

"I haven't stayed up all night in awhile." Beth says.

Neither says anything after that. They stare ahead of them, watching the sunrise.

When Rick checks his watch again, it's 5:30. He watches Beth slide off the hood, and stretch. He does the same then rests his hands on his hips. He looks up and down the road. It's quiet now, but it won't be for long. He figures he should check on Daryl, but he doesn't want to. Not yet.

Beth hangs her hands at her sides. "Thanks again, Rick."

Rick sees her big blue eyes and her soft lips and that _hair_. That hair he wants to run his fingers through. If he can manage to just lean down-

That's when Beth leans up on her toes and kisses him. It's a just a peck on the lips, but that's when Rick can't help himself. He gently cups her face in one hand and presses his lips to hers and he breathes her in. The kiss causes Beth to grab his shirt and pull him further down to her.

He reaches for her waist when there's a honk, and the rumble of an engine. They part, both looking a little guilty. They look over to find the tow truck and Daryl hopping down out of the driver's side.

"Daryl, hey." Rick clears his throat and looks over at Beth who is smiling.

"Yeah, man. Sorry 'bout that shit. Fuckin' Merle, man." Daryl doesn't explain, but Rick notices a fresh black eye.

Rick shrugs. "Gotta get Beth's car to the service station." He wonders how much Daryl's seen, and if he even cares.

"Alright. Nobody there to look at it 'till Monday, though."

Beth shrugs. "It's fine."

"I'll hook it up and giva ya a ride home." Daryl takes the keys from Beth and walks to the truck to line it up with the car.

Once Daryl's inside they both look at each other.

"I was thinkin'," Rick starts nervously, "maybe we could get coffee again sometime? I mean during regular daylight hours."

"I'd love that, yeah. Um, here, I'll give you my number." She writes it down. "This sounds weird, but…I'm actually really glad my car broke down today."

"What's even weirder is that I am too."

Daryl interrupts the conversation, letting her know it's ok to hop in.

"Well, bye Officer!" She smiles then turns and walks toward Daryl's truck.

Daryl leans out of the window and gives a wave to Rick as he's pulling out. He's about to return to the cruiser when he sees a blonde head poking out of the window. He can see her smile at him as they drive away.

_She is right_, he thinks. _There can always be good things that come out of bad situations. _

He tucks her phone number into his pocket and starts the drive home.


End file.
